“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.” – Steve Maraboli

   One of my biggest goals in life is to be kind, giving, and generous. As a junior in high school, I tend to see a lot of hate that gets spread around – some of it about classmates, teachers, or our supposed to be “best friend.” I was lucky enough to be raised by parents that dedicated their life to making sure that my brother and I were kind to all, no matter the circumstance. Although at times it is hard to not want to scream at someone, it’s better to think before we do.

  With the tough truth of school shootings on the rise, students are feeling anxious and angry towards the world. With riots taking place, and students walking out of school demonstrating their right to protest, everyone is feeling tense, and although we have not had a serious incident like a school shooting, we can feel the anger and frustration in the air.

  Steve Maraboli is a life-changing speaker, best selling author, and a behavioral scientist who uses his public status to inspire and change others’ lives. With someone as inspiring as him traveling the world, all should be encouraged to spark a flame and to be kind to all.

  As time goes on, I think it is easier for students to be mean than kind. For some reason, that I could only wish to understand, being kind is difficult for most people to do. Kindness means showing compassion, feeling, and love, and not all people are comfortable showing that they, too, are human. But at the very end of the day, so many of our world problems could be fixed by showing compassion.

  In light of the recent school shooting in Florida, many people are hurting and in pain. A teen shooter is often mentally ill, troubled or depressed. Although part of the problem is the access to  guns, we can not forget the story behind the weapon, and how most of those people needed help long before they picked up a gun. Perhaps, if more kindness were shown to these suffering teens, they would never have gone down the path of destruction in the first place. Whether people suffer from depression, anxiety, or whatever torments them at night, everyone is human and all deserve the respect and decency to be treated as such. Showing kindness, compassion, and generosity – all of this could heal a wound.